U.S. patent number 6,209,466 [Application Number 09/310,541] was granted by the patent office on 2001-04-03 for two piece seed boot for a seeding machine.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Deere & Company. Invention is credited to Timothy Dirk Wodrich.
United States Patent |
6,209,466 |
Wodrich |
April 3, 2001 |
Two piece seed boot for a seeding machine
Abstract
A two piece seed boot for a seeding machine has a upper cast
portion and a lower cast portion. Both the upper and lower portions
are provided with aligned seed passages which received metered seed
from the seed tube and discharge the metered seed to the planting
furrow. The upper cast portion is mounted to the planting unit
frame and the seed tube by an integral mounting clevis. The lower
cast portion is provided with first and second upward extending
mounting lugs. The first mounting lug is received in a recess
formed in the upper portion. The second mounting lug engages the
planting furrow side of the upper portion. The rear of the upper
and lower portions are provided with aligned mounting holes through
which a mounting bolt passes securing the lower portion to the
upper portion.
Inventors: |
Wodrich; Timothy Dirk (Rock
Island, IL) |
Assignee: |
Deere & Company (Moline,
IL)
|
Family
ID: |
23202972 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/310,541 |
Filed: |
May 12, 1999 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
111/189; 111/200;
172/753; 172/772 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01C
5/062 (20130101); A01C 5/064 (20130101); A01C
7/206 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01C
5/00 (20060101); A01C 5/06 (20060101); A01C
7/00 (20060101); A01C 7/20 (20060101); A01C
013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;111/154,189,186,170,200,14,69,73,76,80,81
;172/747,751,753,772,719,726 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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352 993 |
|
Aug 1928 |
|
BE |
|
40 39 966 |
|
Jun 1992 |
|
DE |
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0 898 860 |
|
Aug 1997 |
|
DE |
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Other References
John Deere Parts Catalog, (John Deere Des Moines Works PC
2246-Nov.-96), titled "750 Series Grain Drill", front and back
pages, as well as pages A3, D1, and D2, printed in the U.S.A. .
John Deere Brochure FMO-121B titled "Fundamentals of Machine
Operation--Planting", front and back pages as well as pp. ii,
95-120, printed in the U.S.A., 1975. .
John Deere Brochure DKA147 titled "No-Till Drills", front and back
pages as well as pp. 3 -15, printed in the U.S.A..
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Primary Examiner: Batson; Victor
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A seed boot for a seeding machine, the seed boot comprising:
a cast upper portion adapted to be coupled to a seed tube for
receiving metered seed therefrom, the upper portion having an upper
seed passage, the upper portion also having an upper furrow opener
side and an upper planting furrow side, wherein the upper planting
furrow side has an upper side surface that is in contact with a
planting furrow formed by a furrow opener for keeping the planting
furrow open;
a cast lower portion that is coupled to the upper portion for
receiving metered seed therefrom, the lower portion having a lower
seed passage which is aligned with the upper seed passage for
receiving metered seed from the upper seed passage, the lower
portion having a lower furrow opener side and a lower planting
furrow side, the lower planting furrow side has a lower side
surface that is in contact with the planting furrow formed by the
furrow opener for keeping the planting furrow open, the cast upper
portion and the cast lower portion are provided with aligned
mounting holes through which a mounting bolt passes coupling the
lower portion to the upper portion, the upper portion is provided
with an upper leading edge that extends downwardly and rearwardly
and the lower portion is provided with a lower leading edge that
extends downwardly and rearwardly and is in line with the upper
leading edge, the upper furrow opener side of the upper portion is
provided with an upwardly and forwardly extending mounting recess
for receiving a first mounting lug extending upwardly and forwardly
from the lower portion, the lower portion is provided with a second
mounting lug extending upwardly therefrom and engaging the upper
planting furrow side of the upper portion, the lower portion is
provided with a recess which adjoins the upper portion for
receiving a seed retaining tongue that extends rearwardly and
downwardly behind the lower seed passage, the seed retaining tongue
being trapped between the upper and lower portions.
2. A seed boot as defined by claim 1 wherein the upper portion is
provided with an upwardly extending clevis for receiving a seed
tube, the clevis is also provided with a strap and a pin for
securing the upper portion to the seed tube.
3. A seed boot as defined by claim 2 wherein the upper portion is
also provided with an upwardly extending mounting lug for engaging
a sidewall on the seed tube.
4. An upper portion for a seed boot, the upper portion
comprising:
a cast upper body having an upper seed passage formed therethrough,
the cast upper body having a furrow opener side and a planting
furrow side, the planting furrow side having a surface for keeping
a planting furrow open, the cast body is further provided with an
integral clevis for securing the upper portion to a seed tube, the
clevis is provided with two aligned holes for receiving a pin which
secures a strap to the clevis for securing the upper portion to the
seed tube;
a mounting recess extending upwardly and forwardly on the furrow
opener side and being located in front of the seed passage;
a mounting hole located behind the seed passage for receiving a
mounting bolt for securing a lower portion to the upper portion of
the seed boot.
5. An upper portion as defined by claim 4 wherein the upper portion
is provided with a mounting lug for engaging a sidewall on the seed
tube.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a two piece seed boot for a
seeding machine, wherein the high wear portion of the seed boot can
be replaced as needed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grain drills and air seeders are seeding machines for solid
planting a crop. More specifically, the seeding rows are so close
together as to prevent cultivation and/or other cultural practices.
The seed is kept in a large hopper which supplies a plurality of
seed meters. An individual seed meter is associated with each
planting unit. The seed meter in turn directs the metered seed
through a seed tube to a seed boot having a seed passage. The seed
boot is associated with a furrow opener which forms a planting
furrow. The seed boot directs the seed into the planting furrow
which is closed by a furrow closing wheel.
Deere & Company, the assignee of the present patent
application, currently manufactures and markets a 1560 Series grain
drill. This grain drill is provided with a single disc opener and a
single casting seed boot. The furrow opener forms the planting
furrow while the seed boot maintains the planting furrow open as
the seed is being introduced. The lower portion of the seed boot
are in continual contact with the soil during planting operations
and are subjected to higher rates of wear than the upper portion.
As the lower portion of the seed boot wears away, the farmer is
forced to replace the total seed boot casting.
With air seeders an air stream is used to direct metered seed and
fertilizer to a planting unit. On some air seeders, manufactured
and marketed by Deere & Company, the planting unit is almost
identical to the planting unit used on the 1560 Series grain drill
described above.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present invention to provide a two piece
seed boot that can be used on a grain drill or an air seeder.
It is a feature of the invention that the lower portion of the seed
boot can be replaced as it becomes worn without replacing the upper
portion of the seed boot.
The present invention comprises a seed boot having an upper portion
that is coupled to the seed tube and a lower portion that is
coupled to the upper portion. Both the upper portion and the lower
portion are castings. The upper portion is provided with an upper
seed passage for receiving metered seed from the seed tube and for
discharging metered seed to the lower portion. The lower portion is
provided with a lower seed passage for receiving metered seed from
the upper portion and for discharging seed to the planting furrow
formed by the furrow opener and maintained by the seed boot.
The forward portion of the lower portion is provided with an
upwardly and forwardly extending first mounting lug which engages a
mounting recess located in the forward portion of the upper
portion. The planting furrow side of the lower portion is provided
with a second mounting lug that extends upward and engages the
planting furrow side of the upper portion. The rear portions of
both the upper portion and the lower portion are provided with
aligned mounting holes for receiving a mounting bolt to hold the
lower portion to the upper portion. A seed retaining tongue extends
downwardly and rearwardly from the lower portion behind the lower
seed passage for retaining seed deposited in the planting furrow.
The upper portion of the tongue is received in a recess located
between the upper and lower portions trapping the tongue
therebetween.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an individual planting unit for a
seeding machine drill.
FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of the seed boot and seed tube
showing the planting furrow side.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the seed boot and seed tube taken
from the planting furrow side.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the seed boot and seed tube taken
from the furrow opener side.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 discloses an individual planting unit 10 for a seeding
machine. The planting unit has a pivotal frame 12 that is coupled
to the seeding machine frame by clamping structure 14. A single
disc furrow opener 16 is rotatively coupled to the frame 12. The
furrow opener 16 forms a planting furrow into which the metered
seeds are deposited. A seed lock wheel 18 is rotatively mounted to
the frame 12 and is located behind the furrow opener 16 for
pressing seeds into the planting furrow. Immediately behind the
seed press wheel 18 is the closing wheel 20 for collapsing the
planting furrow and covering the seeds with a loose layer of
soil.
Metered seed from the seeding machine is directed to seed tube 22
which directs it downwardly into seed boot 24. The seed boot
comprises an upper cast portion 26 and a lower cast portion 28. The
upper cast portion comprises a cast body having an upper seed
passage 30 for receiving seed from the seed tube 22. This seed
passage 30 extends downwardly and rearwardly. The upper portion is
also provided with an integral mounting clevis 32 having aligned
holes for receiving pin 36 and strap 38 for mounting the upper
portion 26 to the seed tube 22 and frame 12. The frame 12 is
provided with a U-shaped mounting bracket 34 which fits between the
mounting clevis 38 and the seed tube 22. The upper portion 26 is
also provided with an upwardly extending mounting lug 40 which
engages the sidewall 42 of seed tube 22.
The upper portion has a furrow opener side 44, illustrated in FIG.
4, and a planting furrow side 46, illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The
planting furrow side 46 is provided with a surface 48 for engaging
the sidewalls of the planting furrow formed by the furrow opener 16
and keeping the planting furrow opened as the seed is deposited in
the planting furrow. The upper portion 26 is also provided with a
leading edge 50 which is tucked up close to the inside surface of
the furrow opener 16 and extends downwardly and rearwardly. A
mounting lug receiving recess 52 is located behind the leading edge
50 on the furrow opener side 44 of the upper portion 26. The rear
of the upper portion 26 is provided with a mounting hole for
receiving a mounting bolt 54.
The lower portion 28 also has a furrow opener side 58, illustrated
in FIG. 4, and a planting furrow side 60, illustrated in FIGS. 1-3.
The planting furrow side 60 is provided with a surface 62 for
keeping the planting furrow formed by the furrow opener 16 open.
The lower portion 28 is provided with a lower seed passage 64 which
is aligned with the upper seed passage 30 of the upper portion 26.
In addition, the upper leading edge 50 is aligned with a lower
leading edge 64 that also extends downwardly and rearwardly. The
rear of the lower portion 28 is provided with a mounting hole which
is aligned with the upper mounting hole for receiving mounting bolt
54.
The front of the lower portion 28 in front of the seed passage 64
is provided with a first mounting lug 66 which extends upwardly and
forwardly and is received in mounting recess 52 in the upper
portion 26. A second mounting lug 68 also extends upwardly from the
lower portion 28 and engages the surface 48 on the planting furrow
side 46 of the upper portion 26.
A seed retaining tongue 70, of plastic extends downwardly and
rearwardly of the lower seed passage 64. It is trapped between the
upper and lower portions being held in place by the recess 72
formed in the lower portion 28.
The invention should not be limited by the above described
embodiment, but should be limited solely by the claims that
follow.
* * * * *